25 March 2016

Easter traditions vary across different nations. A remarkable event they hold in America is the Easter egg roll. Held on the lawn of the White House on the day after Easter, thirty five thousand lucky guests from across the U.S.A can gather on the South lawn of the White House for games, storytelling, entertainment and egg rolling. The egg roll itself is a race, where kids push an egg through the grass with a long spoon. according to tradition, Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, began the event in 1814 and many kids brought their decorated eggs to join in games.

We have selected a few of our favourite Easter objects from around Grays to celebrate with this coming Easter Sunday!

21 March 2016

For those of you who have a birthday in March, you are lucky enough to have the beautiful aquamarine as your birthstone. The aquamarine gemstone is associated with courage, loyalty, fealty and friendship. The stone is also said to heighten awareness, communication skills and quick response, as well as symbolising honesty, faithfulness and beauty.

Aquamarine has a pale, deep green-blue cool color that works perfectly for Spring and with yesterday being the first day of the season, this could be the perfect time to invest in an aquamarine piece to accessorise your Spring wardrobe!

Below we have picked our favourite aquamarine pieces currently in stock at Grays.

10 March 2016

Ken Jacobsen of Old As Time Antiques started trading in 1981, selling antique clocks and furniture at antique fairs and markets. It's easy to see why antique clocks hold a fascination with Ken - the superb engineering produced without the help of computerised production methods and the intricacies involved, make these timepieces highly sought after, along with their aesthetic value and investment value.

Below are examples of the type of clocks you will find in the Old As Time Antiques showcase. All items are covered by a six or twelve month support warranty.

French Carriage Clock

French Carriage Clock, Late 19th Century

A horizontal platform escapement regulated French movement, which is housed in a four glass brass framed case with handle and lens to view its platform assembly. It has a painted white enamel face with Roman numerals.

Striking Mantel Clock

1/2hr Striking Mantel Clock, c1900/30

A twin train pendulum regulated German movement striking once on the half hour and the hours on the hour. It is housed in an Oak case with barley twist columns. This clock has a white enamelled face with Roman numerals and hinged bezel.

Melody Bracket Clock

1/4hr Melody Bracket Clock, c1870/90

A triple train pendulum regulated English Westminster chiming movement. The melody is chimed on each quarter hour and the hours on the hour. Its Mahogany case has fluted corner pillars inlay and bun feet. The silvered face has Roman numerals and the retailers name covered by a hinged brass bezel.

Balloon Cased Timepiece

8 Day Balloon Cased Timepiece, c1900’s

A platform escapement regulated French movement in a solid Mahogany case with button feet. The movement is faced by a white enamelled dial with Arabic numerals.

Bracket Clock

19th Century Bracket Clock

A Revivale period 1/4hr Ting-Tang chiming walnut cased Bracket clock, c1855-60 by Lenzkirch Germany, Est 1851. A pendulum regulated 1/4hr Ting-Tang chiming movement by Lenzkirch Germany. This is housed in a decorative walnut case with a silvered face having Roman numerals and a vernier adjustment for time keeping.

Old As Time Antiques also offer services such as restoration, valuation, surveys and audits.

Ken is available at the FS06 showcase every Friday, 11am - 4pm, or by appointment. For contact details, please see below.

3 March 2016

The month of March is not only filled with the hope of spring, it is also a month dedicated to the celebration of women.

First of all we have Mother's Day, Sunday 6th, when we celebrate and honour our mothers, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. Mother's Day as we know it was first celebrated in America in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial in honour of her mother. She had already started a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognised holiday in 1905, but would not be fully successful until 1911.

Then later next week, Tuesday 8th, we celebrate International Women's Day, which is an annual celebration of women in both history and society. The focus of the day differs throughout the world, from a general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women, to a discussion of women's economic, political and social achievements. There is also a tradition of choosing a theme for each year and this year the theme is; "Make It Happen - Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality".

Throughout the whole of March, London will host an event called "Women's History Month", which is a diverse programme of events and exhibitions centred around female artists, activists, performers, writers, community groups and organisations, and is curated by Alternative Arts.

For the occasion we have selected some of our own female dealers here at Grays, and if you're still on the look out for a perfect Mother's Day gift, look no further for inspiration.